The Labor enquirer., 1887-02-05
N DENVER, COLORADO. SATURDAY. s.

enough 10 eat. freedom to 70 ont An
come In. to mingle with our friends.
love. laugh. and be merry In the inte
: walls Of wage-labof ought mot to forg'
that these privileges are denied 10 man.
Is ksenly susceptible Of such enio,
ments - the best Of Us.
"The poor ye have always with you.
The ever-increasing misery Of the pst
pie which Is forced upon our sight ever
where will not allow Us to forget, sud i
Is needless to the true humanitarian +
remember the unwsrranted poverty ths
shames plenteous earth and civilixe,
age. -
! But the silent sorrow that Is out q
sight: the weary endurance. that. hav
ing no bleeding wounds TO show roussI
no pity in it's enforced patience; ). tn
dreariness Of prolonged waitine-thes'
We are apt to forget in the intensity o
life's pursuits.
We have martyrs in this free country
We are not as free ss We have imagined
and We have. never yet imagined perfect
freedom. Even the few liberties w
supposed were secured to Us years age
have to be fought for over and oveI
again. In Kansas the powers that be
encouraged by the valiant conduct o.
their Chicago brethren. have locked ur
two harmless peaceasle citizens, be
cause they did not 90 through q certain
form in the old conventional way. They
have thrust into prison a bright. limo.
cent girl, awav from all friends. without
the privilege of communication. because
she chose to marry in her own way the
man she loved best. In q country
where parents sell their tenderly-reared
daughters to rich old roues for wives
with impunitv, this extraordinary
spasm Of virtue glares out with horrible
inconsistency. ~
And still our eight comrades are hero.
icly enduring their drearv, wearlsome
confinement, with mahv long DAYS be-
fore them vet. before they hope for free
don and certainty. To men like these,
the confinement and monotony are es-
peclallv hard. They are men of active
habits. varied experiences. and keen,
wide awake intellects; they love their
homes and families rather more than
men in the average walk OF life do; they
all possess strong social natures and
know how to appreciate the good things
of life when attainable; when free they
were constantly active in response to
their earnest convictions and sincere
purposes.
Think what life behind iron bars
must be to them And vet the very
strength Of character which makes such
a life worse to bear than for common
men, gives them the philosophy to en-
dure 1t with calmness. They are like
finely tempered steel-capable of bear
ing extraordinary tests with giant
strength to resist them.
No prominent feature now calls them
before the public; but. they 90 on en-
during, dav after day, just the same.
They are innocent of everything wicked
except thinking, and indeed it is vulgar
and unconstitutional to think very much.
They have been able enough to say
what hundreds of us would like to-and
that is the extent Of their guilt. Let US
never forget them for single day. Let
us encourage, sympathize with and help
them wherever possible, defend them
at all times and miss no oppornity to
inform people as to the truth concern
ing their case. Sometime in the future
we may be called on to do more-let us
be ready. r
They are not alone the sufferers.
Sometimes l think the lot OF the poor,
patient wives sitting In their lonely
homes with their wondering children
about their knees, is sadder still. Dear,
simple hearted. faithful Mrs. Fielden
with her two, sweet children should be
remembered as a heroine in her own
quiet way. Everyone knows how brave
and strong and devoted Mrs. Parsons
has been; and each Of the wives has
shown heroism and fidelity in the de.
gree in Which it is called for.
i LIzzIE NJ. SwASK.